<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>A Story that is Definitely about Crofters Jam by KieraElieson</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22943572">A Story that is Definitely about Crofters Jam</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/KieraElieson/pseuds/KieraElieson'>KieraElieson</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sanders Sides (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fairy AU, Fantasy AU, G/T, Gen, fairy!logan, witch!Virgil</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 09:55:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,355</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22943572</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/KieraElieson/pseuds/KieraElieson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Virgil needs fairy dust for his spells, but getting a fairy isn’t nearly as simple as he’d assumed.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anxiety | Virgil Sanders &amp; Logic | Logan Sanders</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>178</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>In some lore I’ve seen iron hurts fairies, whereas in others it just makes them weak. This one is the make them weak one.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil had to buy a fairy. He’d been buying many of the little packets of dust, and it was just too much. If he got his own fairy, he’d have most of the dust he needed ready and at hand, and might be able to actually make some of the spells that called for fairy blood. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked at the row of little cages, each with a fairy inside. Then one caught his eye. Not because it looked strong, and healthy, and possibly friendly, or because it looked like it had plenty of the dust. Not even because it had beautiful wings. It was the opposite of all those things, actually. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This one was laying in a heap on the floor of its cage, glaring at him as if it was trying to lay a curse on him with its eyes. It’s wings were pinned, so it couldn’t fly, and their color was dimmed and faint, practically every speck of dust gone from their surface. It was pale, and looked weak. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me,” Virgil said to the owner of the shop. “What’s the matter with this one?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The owner looked up from the spellbook she’d been studying. “That one? Oh, you don’t want that one, honey. Freya knows I’ve tried to teach it manners, but it just won’t behave. Had to put a muzzling spell on it cause it kept driving away my customers.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil frowned. “What are you going to do with it, then?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The owner shrugged. “Look, kid, I’ll give it to you for five silver if you promise not to bring it back.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Five silver?! Fairies could be as expensive as three gold sometimes! This was worth it no matter how rude the fairy was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil stuck his hand out. “Deal.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The owner shook his hand, smiling. “Alright, I’ll give you the counter spell for the muzzle for an extra silver, and the cage is enchanted so you can take the top off and he’ll stay inside the base.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil nodded. That would certainly be useful. He reached in his pocket and paid the woman. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He picked the cage up and carried it home. The first thing to do would be to feed the fairy. He set the cage on the table, and started heating some water in a pot, and then poured sugar in it. Sugar water was pretty basic, but it was the one thing he knew fairies ate. Although, as he thought about it, fairies could really eat just about anything, though they seemed to prefer sweet things. Once the sugar was dissolved, he started cooling the water down to at least tea-temperature. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn’t have anything fairy-sized, but looking around, he found a thimble, and washed it out, filling it with the sugar water. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He took the top off the cage, and set the thimble inside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There. Eat up. Or drink.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The fairy glared, carefully sitting up, and then kicking the thimble over. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? Why would you do that? Aren’t you hungry?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The fairy looked at him in contempt, as if he was the biggest idiot to ever exist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And after thinking for a minute, Virgil realized that he actually was the biggest idiot. The fairy probably couldn’t even open its mouth with the spell still active. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil quickly got the counter spell, grateful that it only required a bit of verbal magic, and not any specific ingredients. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As soon as the counter spell was cast, the fairy spit something out. The glare was not lessened, and there was no hint of gratitude as the fairy picked up the refilled thimble and drained it. Virgil looked down and saw a tiny metallic bead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that iron?” Virgil asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The fairy’s glare turned murderously dark. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil took a step back, holding up his hands. “Hey, take it easy, I’m not messing with it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The fairy turned away. He sure was being quiet. With how the shop owner had talked Virgil would’ve expected a stream of verbal abuse already. He picked up the thimble, and the fairy jumped away from his hand, fear for once taking over the anger in his eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m just gonna get you some more,” Virgil said, rather apologetic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he returned with the thimble full of warm sugar water, the fairy was straining and twisting his body around, trying to reach the clip on his wings. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil set the thimble down. “I can take that off for you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The fairy glared at him. But he turned halfway, where Virgil could reach the clip but he could still see him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you dare tear my wings.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Virgil woke up the next morning with an immediate sense that something was wrong. He jerked upright, and looked around his house quickly. Working with magic as much as he did, he had to be vigilant, and wary of even small changes. Nothing seemed out of place, until he looked at the cage. The vacant cage. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil’s breath came in a quick gasp. What had happened to his fairy??? He shouldn’t be able to get out on his own even if it was open, and the cage was still closed! Had someone stolen him? But then why leave the cage? Had someone purposely just let him go?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pulled the top off the cage, but no fairy suddenly appeared. Agh! Why hadn’t he just done a tethering spell or something?</span>
</p><p> </p><ul>
<li><span>•^*^••</span></li>
</ul><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan watched warily from the corner of the cage, the venom having faded from his glare and been replaced with keen attention. As he suspected, the human didn’t make any attempt to feel around inside the cage, and just started freaking out. Now all he had to do was wait, wait for some opportunity to really get out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the human was not prone to talking to himself, or further investigating the cage, or even inviting someone else to help him look. In fact, he spent much of the day out of the house, probably looking for clues to where Logan had gone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He finally looked into the cage again in the evening. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan was stiff and hungry, and quite annoyed that not a single opportunity had presented itself. He glared up at the human. Stupid, careful, monster of a being. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then the human’s eyes widened, and Logan shrunk back. How had he been seen?! He’d made this spell very carefully! </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The human reached into the cage, and picked up the iron bead. Logan could have slapped himself. With how long he’d had the accursed thing in his mouth it would surely be suitable for a tracking spell. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He watched, growing more angry and hopeless by the second as the human proceeded to do exactly that. The little ball shot up in the air, leaving a faint glittery trail behind it, and floated over to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan dropped the invisibility. “Honestly, of all the spells you could have used, you chose that one? The trail is barely visible, and it floats away in any kind of breeze, not to mention if someone walks through it. It’s slow and inefficient. If I’d actually managed to get out of this accursed cage you never would’ve been able to find me. You’re an idiot, and a failure as a witch. You didn’t even thoroughly check the cage.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The human just stared at him, his mouth dropped open. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course. Stand there dumbfounded and make yourself look like more of an idiot than you already are. At least the shopkeeper had an answer for me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been here the whole time?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I believe that should have been obvious.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been here this whole time?! I’ve been searching for you all day!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A large part of Logan wanted to shrink back from the human’s growing anger, to apologize in hopes of avoiding retribution. But another part of him was still furious at the whole situation, and refused to let him be intimidated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m aware. I’ve seen you running around all day like a chicken with its head cut off.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The human’s face turned pink with anger, his hands fisting at his sides. He let out a huff, and spun around, stalking into the bedroom. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan’s knees suddenly wouldn’t hold him up anymore. What had he been thinking, purposely antagonizing the human that had him trapped in a cage on his desk?!</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It had been three days. Nothing had yet happened. Logan was scared to even talk to the human at all anymore. He’d made him angry a number of times, and nothing had happened. It was all saving up for something big, and Logan was terrified to find out what. Would he kill him? Logan knew that there were spells you’d have to kill a fairy to cast. He’d been cheap. He was disposable. And he’d made himself a nuisance. As much as it terrified him to admit it, in a human’s eyes it wouldn’t be a waste to use him of one of those spells. His only chance was to hope that </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> human didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>want </span>
  </em>
  <span>to cast one of those spells. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He heard the human waking up in the other room, and forced his wings to stop their trembling. The dust was finally coming back in, filling in the bare patches, and providing a much needed relief. His wings were clearly blue again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The human came into the room, yawning, and ruffling his bed head, which didn’t help it at all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, there. You want sugar water or something else? I’m gonna have… I don’t know. I’ll find something.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Logan stayed silent, the human wandered into the kitchen, knocking things around for a while, before a nice smell started to spread through the house. He came back with a plate that had several pieces of toast on it. He sat down at the desk and took the top off of the cage. He cut a corner off of two of the pieces of toast. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here,” he held one out to Logan. “This one has jelly on it. Or the other one is honey, if you’d rather.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan accepted the food, though he was very surprised that he enjoyed the jelly. Usually he didn’t enjoy jelly very much at all, it was merely a source of sugar. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What jelly is this?” He asked. It was the first thing he’d said to the human that wasn’t caustic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Some kind of berry, I don’t know. There’s a man up in the mountains who needed a spell done and paid me in jelly. His name was Crofter or something. Weird name.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan nodded. It probably wasn’t his actual name. Up in the mountains there’d be enough fairies that going by your real name could be dangerous. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, is that why?” The human asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan froze. He hadn’t intended to say it all out loud. He turned his focus back to breakfast. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You really like that jelly, huh? I’ve got loads of it. Just a minute.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soon there was a spoon set in front of Logan, heaping full of the jelly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Warmth touched his wings, and Logan was snapped out of the daze he’d been in. His body was thrumming with energy from the massive amount of sugar he’d taken in. He turned his head, to see the human gently holding his wingtips, and inspecting his wings. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You— tricked me. Let go!” Logan jerked and twisted, trying to get free. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, hey, calm down.” The human let go. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan flapped his wings several times. They weren’t damaged. He backed to the farthest place he could go from the human. Partially because of the sugar, partially because of the shock, and partially from the built up fear, he was shaking, and couldn’t stop himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s ok. I’m sorry I touched your wings. Are they hurt?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan shook his head dumbly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The human turned away, looking through his collection of books for a long time. Logan slowly calmed, but without the flying he was used to, the sugar rush was taking longer to leave his body. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finally the human thumped a book down on the desk, laughing slightly and rubbing his face. “This is so dumb. I should have figured it out myself. I’m not giving you my name, but I will tell you, it’s Virgil. I’d like to know what yours is as well.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because we’re going to be living together for a while, and I thought it would be a good step towards not scaring you again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan’s mind buzzed, thoughts running around and around of ‘what would he possibly get from not scaring me?’  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s Logan.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil smiled. “It’s nice to meet you, Logan. Now. How can I convince you that I don’t actually want to hurt you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan’s eyes went wide, and his thoughts sped up their spinning until they were unintelligible static roaring in his ears. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Logan’s wings ached. The cage didn’t let him fly hardly at all, and with how used he had been to flying everywhere his wings were getting sore from disuse. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then Virgil had sat down near him, studying a spellbook. He’d put a bookmark in at a spell that Logan knew he had everything he needed for. Everything except fairy dust. Logan wasn’t sure how much he’d need, it would depend on how large of a batch he wanted to make. But what Logan did know was that Virgil wanted to make that spell. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And with Virgil wanting something, perhaps there was a way for Logan to get what he wanted. If only he moved first, and moved quickly. If he waited, Virgil could very easily pin him down and take the dust himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He did it when Virgil was out of the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil came back and his eyes went wide when he saw Logan. Logan felt a bit faint, and his heart was pounding in his chest. It was his only chance. He had to do this well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want to make a deal with you.” Logan said, forcing himself not to sway as he stood there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil stepped closer. “What did you do?” He asked breathlessly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want to trade you this dust,” Logan said, holding up the little pile. “And I want to be let out of this cage.” He quickly moved on, not giving Virgil a chance to speak, to reject his offer. “I’ll stay in the house, or even in the room. I won’t try to leave. Just let me out of here, and leave me alone. I-I’ll give you dust, or blood, or whatever you want—“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Logan.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No! No, I— is this not enough? I’ll have more soon. I’ll give you that too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Logan.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What else do you want from me?! I don’t… have… if you promise you’ll let me go I’ll give you my name—“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Logan!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan jumped, biting down hard on his lip. He was panicking. He was panicking and rambling, and he’d just as good as promised his name to a human. His chest heaved up and down and he couldn’t look at Virgil. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Logan,” Virgil said a fourth time, his voice much softer. “I don’t mind letting you out. But you didn’t have to hurt yourself like this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-I don’t want to just be let out,” Logan said, his voice quiet and shaky. “I want to stay out. I want the cage burned!” He clapped a hand over his mouth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then I’ll burn it,” Virgil said firmly. “But you can’t go hurting yourself.” He gestured at the pile of dust Logan had scraped off of his wings. “I barely need half of that, and it could have waited.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan was utterly confused. “Why would you…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look, I do need dust. It’s why I bought you. So I do need you to stay, but I don’t want you here as a prisoner or a slave. I’d much rather that we can get along. If you promise not to fly away and leave, I’ll find the counterspell and get you out of the cage right now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I won’t leave,” Logan said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil nodded. He did go and find the counterspell, and as soon as Logan was out of the cage he tossed it in the hearth and set it on fire. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan’s wings were still sore, even more so now that he’d stripped them of their dust, but he was out of the cage. He could fly again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There.” Virgil stood up. “Now, how about some lunch? I’m guessing you’ll need some extra food to grow the dust back.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan nodded dumbly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A spoonful of the jelly that had quickly become his favorite food was put in front of him. He stared, not quite believing that the cage was actually gone, despite seeing it burn up just a few minutes prior. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know,” Virgil said, talking around the sandwich he was eating. “Up on top of that cabinet there’s a nice space. I can’t promise there isn’t a mouse already up there, but if you want it, you could build a neat little house up there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This only further confused Logan. He turned his head to look up at the cabinet several seconds too late, and his brain wouldn’t cooperate with him any more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can give you stuff to build with, but otherwise I’ll leave it alone. If you want some alone time or whatever, I won’t mess with you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan blanked even more. This… wasn’t… how things were supposed to work. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Virgil carefully packed down the pollen into the measure. This had to be precise. He glanced over at Logan, who was watching him intently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How is it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It is… adequate.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Logan, you’re looking at me like I’m pathetic. What am I doing wrong?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan’s face became tight and controlled. “Tap the measure gently against the table.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil tapped, and a little sinkhole opened up. He added more pollen. “Thanks.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Several steps later they went through a similar routine, with Virgil having to coax Logan’s criticism out of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look, what’s going on?” Virgil asked. “The shopkeeper said that you were rude and talked all the time, and I thought that you were blunt and spoke your mind, but you’ve been passive and walking on eggshells for days now!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan backed away, his jaw clenching. “What do you want from me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just want you to be normal. I don’t even know you and I know this isn’t you!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan crossed his arms tightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong, Logan? What am I doing wrong? I-I talked to other people that keep fairies, and I thought I was doing everything they said to. I gave you your own place, I give you all of that jam you could eat, I let you do whatever you want.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan turned half away. “You have me trapped in this house. At any time you could cast some spell on me. It would be foolish of me to ‘be myself’ and chance making you angry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil froze for a moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you want me to ‘be myself’ I can’t be your little pet.” Logan spat out the word as if it burned him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But--- you agreed to stay so easily…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course I’d trade a small cage for a larger one!” Logan said, bristling. “That doesn’t make this any less of a cage, just more comfortable.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil gnawed on his lip. “....then leave.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Leave. I--” Virgil cast about for the words. “Release you from your promise. You don’t… have to stay anymore.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil turned around. There was a slight noise behind him, and when he turned back Logan was gone. He let out a heavy sigh, shoving the half-made spell to the side and dropping his head onto the table. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Ugh!” Virgil threw away another crumpled paper. He’d never thought he’d have to do this, never wanted to. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It just, it made him too visible. If he made a mistake anyone could see that it was him. He didn’t like that at all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil turned back toward the clean sheet of paper. His brain was blank. He’d been told to make a crest for himself, something that he would put on every spell he made. But he couldn’t think of anything. It needed to be representative of him, but also simple enough he wouldn’t be pulling his hair out every time he needed to repeat it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil let out a grumbling sigh. He missed Logan. He shouldn’t- he shouldn’t have gotten so attached! After Logan left, Virgil had thrown himself into his work, trying to distract himself, not that it was working well. He’d made more spells in the last few days than in the month before, and that was probably why he had to make this dumb crest. </span>
</p><p> </p><ul>
<li><span>•^*^••</span></li>
</ul><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was… harder than Logan had expected, living alone and by himself. He’d been held captive by many humans before the shopkeeper, and he hadn’t lived alone before that. It was harder, trying to collect nectar from flowers and trying to find shelter by himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Perhaps… no. He didn’t need to check on Virgil. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he could do it invisibly. Virgil would never know. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He did </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>need Virgil. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But that didn’t mean he couldn’t visit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan found himself much closer to Virgil’s house than he had intended. He quickly turned invisible. Suddenly the door opened, and Logan zipped behind the tree in the yard. Virgil walked straight for the tree. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan flew up into the branches, where Virgil couldn’t reach. How had he seen him?! </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Virgil just set a cup in a fork between branches. His face contorted into a strange expression, one Logan didn’t know how to read, and then he turned and went back inside.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So he didn’t see him. That at least was a relief. Logan flew down to look at the cup. It was covered in a thin paper, and his name was written on it. Had Virgil seen him or not? And what was in the cup?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan poked a hole through the paper, just enough to look inside. It was Crofter’s Jam. His mouth started watering immediately. He flitted back and forth, back and forth, thinking hard. He started back to his makeshift house, to get some of the acorn shells he’d been collecting. They’d be perfect to carry the jam in. And then he stopped. He thought for a long time again. </span>
</p><p> </p><ul>
<li><span>•^*^••</span></li>
</ul><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil rolled the teeny bead around on the table. It was the last thing he had of Logan, but even that hurt.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> He had a bit of money now. And he was young. If he moved and switched professions it wouldn’t be too late. Probably. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sun was setting. He should go get the cup back. It’d just attract wasps or something if he left it. The jelly would certainly mold. It’d been a long shot anyway.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he didn’t want to get up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A chill settled into his body as the night progressed and he still didn’t move. He was an idiot, getting attached to a fairy. He should’ve known something would happen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A quiet tap on the window made him jolt upright. It was Logan. It was Logan! He was standing right there! Virgil felt tears spring to his eyes. He stared like an idiot for several long seconds before springing into motion and opening the window. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan held up a hand as soon as Virgil opened his mouth. “Please, allow me to say my piece before you speak.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil nodded, his mouth clicking shut.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan jumped down to stand on the table, glancing distastefully at the bead. “I have come to propose a deal.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil nodded. A deal with a fairy was supposed to be always bad, dangerous at the very least, but this was Logan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want to become your partner. I will aid you in preparing your spells, including using my own dust or blood if it is required, within reason. In return, you will allow me to either stay or leave freely, you’ll provide me with food and give me a third of the payment for the spells. You will not have or try to obtain control over me, and I will do the same for you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil was already nodding. “Yes! I-- Yes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan seemed taken aback by his ready agreement. “Y-you’ll be held to these terms--”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know. Yes, it’s a deal. I-- I missed you, Logan. A whole lot more than I ever would have imagined.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I won’t be staying here constantly.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But you'll come back. If we’re partners, you’ll come back.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan nodded hesitantly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil let out a rough laugh, rubbing a hand over his face. “I’m acting crazy. Sorry. It’s-- I haven’t slept.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“In how long?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh,” Virgil floundered. “I don’t know. Couple days.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That cannot be healthy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It isn’t,” Virgil acknowledged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then go to bed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I--ok. Will… will you still be here in the morning?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan nodded slowly. “I believe so.”</span>
</p><p> </p><ul>
<li><span>•^*^••</span></li>
</ul><p> </p><p>
  <span>Much of Virgil’s strange behavior was gone in the morning. He was still a bit jumpy, but considerably more normal. That was a relief. Logan was strongly suspecting he’d made a very wrong decision.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first bite of warm toast covered with Crofters reversed that feeling almost entirely. Logan didn’t see any need to hold back, and ate until he was full.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rest of the morning he zipped around Virgil, making corrections and helping make spells. Virgil needed some kind of crest, and Logan suggested a stormcloud, with a bolt of lightning shooting down. Virgil liked it, and it was a good thing. Between Virgil’s good mood, and Logan’s seemingly boundless energy, many spells were made that morning, and each needed a crest to be painted onto its container. They made enough to fill all of Virgil’s orders, and some common ones to sell to the shopkeeper. </span>
</p><p> </p><ul>
<li><span>•^*^••</span></li>
</ul><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, for coming back,” Virgil said, meticulously sewing a complicated symbol on a small pouch. “I thought you’d be gone forever.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, clearly your life is improved if I stay,” Logan said, currently working on arranging the space in top of Virgil’s cabinet to his ideal of a living space. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was silence for a long minute. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is yours?” Virgil asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan considered. “I believe so.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil ducked his head to hide the smile, but Logan saw it anyway. </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>